The Garden

Jesus, as I join You today on Your journey to the cross, prepare my heart to participate with You in the dark shadows of Good Friday and the bright dawn of Easter Sunday.

Pause and pray

In today’s reading, we join Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane on the darkest, most difficult night of His life. The location is significant. ‘Gethsemane’ literally means ‘The Oil Press’. Jesus is entering a place of actual, physical crushing. He is experiencing intense pressure – spiritually, emotionally and physically. In fact, He says that His ‘soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.’

Read: Matthew 26:36–39

When Jesus is overwhelmed with sorrow, He pushes into prayer. ‘My Father,’ He begins, anchoring Himself firmly in God’s compassion at a time when suffering could easily have caused Him to doubt God’s love. ‘May this cup be taken from me,’ He prays, admitting His fear of death and His deep, human desire to be spared suffering. And then He concludes with some of the most powerful words ever prayed: ‘Yet not as I will, but as you will.’

Abba Father, You know that I would give almost anything for an easier, less painful life. Help me to relinquish my will to Your will today.

Pause and pray

Abba Father, so many parts of the world are overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death today. As I remember particular people and places before You now, I pray that they will somehow know Your presence with them in their suffering today.

Pause and pray

In His hour of need, Jesus’ closest friends let Him down repeatedly. I find this strangely reassuring –because I let Him down too. Their negligence and Jesus’ perseverance in prayer in this story reminds me that while my friends and even my family may fail me, ‘there is,’ as the book of Proverbs says, ‘a friend who sticks closer than a brother’ (18:24).

Abba Father, if it is possible, please spare me suffering. I want You to bless me, heal me, show me Your favour. But I realise that You never promised me an easy life. And so I pray today, as sincerely as I know how, let Your will be done even if it’s not my will. Let Your kingdom come, even if it means sacrificing my own comfort and losing control of my life.
Amen.